Soriano disliked the intense Japanese practice schedule, and the Carp denied him a salary increase from $45,000 to $180,000 per year.[2] Like Hideo Nomo and Hideki Irabu, who had previously left Japan to play in the United States, Soriano hired Don Nomura to help his situation. After first attempting to void Soriano's NPB contract by unsuccessfully arguing that the player was legally a minor when he signed it, Nomura advised him, like Nomo, to retire from NPB and pursue a career in MLB. This prompted Carp executives to file an injunction against Soriano, and to send letters to MLB teams demanding that they cease all negotiations with him. After the Nomo case, NPB officials had amended the Working Agreement without consulting any MLB officials in an attempt to prevent the situation from recurring. Since MLB had not agreed to any changes to the agreement, MLB CommissionerBud Selig declared that MLB would recognize Soriano as a free agent on July 13, 1998, and the Carp backed down.[3]

In 2003, Soriano set the record for most home runs to lead off a game in a season with 13, and for the second straight year, led the league in at bats, and finished in the top five in base hits, doubles, home runs, stolen bases, and strikeouts.

On May 8, 2004, Soriano had six hits in nine innings—the first Texas Ranger to do so—in a 16–15, 10-inning victory over the Detroit Tigers. The game featured an hour-long fifth inning, where Detroit scored eight runs in the top half of the inning to take a ten-run lead over the Rangers, only to see Texas score ten runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game, the largest deficit ever overcome by the Rangers and tying an MLB record for most runs in an inning by two teams.[7] That same year, Soriano was elected to the All-Star Game as the starting second baseman. He hit a three-run home run off Roger Clemens in the first inning and was named the MVP of the game.[8]

In 2005 he finished sixth in the AL for stolen bases, and third for extra base hits (as well as eighth in strikeouts).

Soriano and his agent Diego Bentz instead opted to open contract negotiations during the off-season, so that he would become a free agent.

On March 20, 2006, Nationals manager Frank Robinson inserted Soriano in the lineup as the left fielder. Soriano, who since 2001 had played exclusively at second base, refused to take the field, and the Nationals organization threatened him with disqualification, which would have meant forfeiture of his salary, and he would not have received credit for service time in fulfillment of the obligations of his contract. With his contract's service terms officially still unfulfilled, he would then have been ineligible for free agency at season's end.

Two days later, Soriano relented and played in left field for the Nationals in their exhibition game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Robinson indicated that he considered Soriano's move to left field to be permanent and would not consider moving Soriano back to second base at any point during the season. In his comments following that game, Soriano indicated that he would accept his new position without further argument. As the season got underway, however, Soriano began to enjoy his new position, and by the All-Star break, he led the league in outfield assists and became one of the few players ever to start the All-Star game at two different positions.

Soriano enjoyed the greatest season in his career in 2006. He shattered his previous career high in walks with 67 (previously 38). He also reached a career high in home runs with 46 (previously 39). He also had 41 stolen bases. On August 25, a week after reaching 30–30, he became the fastest man in baseball history to reach 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases, reaching the mark in 929 games (breaking the previous record of 1,053 games held by Eric Davis).[12] In September, he completed his 20th outfield assist, becoming the only player in baseball history with 40 home runs, 40 stolen bases, and 20 assists.[13]

On September 16, 2006, Soriano stole second base in the first inning to become the fourth player to join the 40-40 club, after José Canseco, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez. Six days later he became the first player to reach 40 home runs, 40 stolen bases and 40 doubles in one season.[14]

Soriano, making his fifth consecutive All-Star team, became only the third man to start All-Star games for both leagues at two different positions.

Possible trade

As the trading deadline of July 31 approached, the Nationals were in a dilemma. On one hand, Soriano had initially expressed his distaste for playing left field, and he was in the last year of his contract, which would grant him free agency at the end of the season. If the Nationals lost Soriano at the end of the season, they would receive a first or second round draft pick from the team that signed him and a "sandwich" pick between the first and second rounds as compensation. Soriano did not want to engage in contract negotiations during the season. On the other hand, as the deadline approached, Soriano expressed his enjoyment with left field, and his strong desire to stay with the team.[15] Both fans and players began to be more vocal in their support to keep Soriano. Manager Frank Robinson praised Soriano's leadership in the clubhouse, and further suggested that Soriano should be considered for MVP of the National League. There were plenty of suitors, including sending Soriano back to the Yankees, and the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers were also interested. In the end, Nationals general manager Jim Bowden felt that what he was offered was not worth trading him.[16] The Nationals hoped to sign him to a long term deal before the season ended but on October 12, 2006 he rejected a $70 million deal.[17]

Chicago Cubs

2007

The Chicago Cubs signed Soriano to an eight-year contract worth nearly $136 million.[18] The contract marked the most expensive deal in the Cubs' franchise history and goes through 2014.[18] It contains a no-trade clause, meaning Soriano cannot be traded without his consent. The Cubs' manager, Lou Piniella, assigned Soriano to play center field,[19] but later moved him to left field after he sustained a hamstring injury.[20] He struggled during the first month of the season, during which he posted a .270 batting average, with no home runs.[21] He managed to hit his first home run during the Cubs' first game in May, and gradually increased his batting average throughout the month.[21]

The Cubs used Matt Murton, who had been recalled from the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, in left field.[32] He began to show signs of improvement around on August 21, when he was seen running and working out with trainers.[33] Soriano stated he felt healthy enough to return in a few days,[33] but made his actual return on August 28, 2007.[34] Upon his return, Soriano proceeded to have the most productive September in the franchise's history. He hit fourteen home runs, twenty-seven runs batted in, and recorded a .320 batting average within twenty-nine games. Soriano said upon his return from the quad injury that he had also been suffering from wrist injuries and the time off to heal his leg also helped his wrists.[35] The Cubs went on to win the National League Central Division, but were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Division Series. Soriano finished the season with thirty-three home runs (including eleven lead-off home runs), seventy runs batted in, and a .299 batting average.[21] He led the Cubs in home runs, triples, runs, strikeouts, and Slugging percentage, among all regular starters.[36]

2008

During the first few weeks of the 2008 season with the Cubs, Soriano struggled. He was only hitting .190 at the time he was put on the DL with a bad leg. After being activated, Soriano got off to a quick start, raising his average to .280 and increasing his home run total. In a one week stretch in May, he hit 7 home runs in just 6 games, hitting nearly .500 during that stretch. At the end of May he had 12 home runs and 33 RBIs. However, his defense was extremely poor, and after being placed on the DL early in the season, Soriano was encouraged to stop hopping as he caught fly balls. This seemed to affect his play in the field as he misjudged two balls in St. Louis on May 2, shortly after being activated. After being severely booed by Cub fans who had traveled to St. Louis in that particular game, he homered in the ninth to send the game to extra innings.[37] Later that month, he lost a ball in the sun and dropped what would have been the game's final out in the 9th inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing Jason Bay to reach safely and eventually costing the Cubs a win.[38]

As poor as Alfonso's defense is perceived to be, his arm has been just as much as asset to the Cubs, and he was one of the league's leaders in outfield assists. Soriano also led the team in home runs, despite having played in only 109 games. On August 22, Soriano accomplished one of baseball's rarest feats, as he stole home plate in a loss to his old team, the Washington Nationals.[41]

In early September, Soriano helped end the Cubs six-game losing streak by slugging out three home runs with five RBI against the Cincinnati Reds. It marked the third three-home run game of his career. However, as the Cubs went into the playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Soriano, like nearly everyone else on the team, hit poorly in the NLDS.

Soriano had an embarrassing moment in a day-night double header on Wednesday, August 13, 2008, where he hit a long ball which he thought was a home run. He watched it, and slowly trotted down to 1st, yet the ball never left the park. He wound up with only a single. Between games, he apologized to his team and promised that it would never happen again.

2009

Soriano had gotten off to a quick start, hitting a solo home run in his first at bat of the 2009 season.[42] Soriano also hit a game tying solo home run off LaTroy Hawkins in the 8th inning in the second game of the young season. On April 11, Soriano hit a 2-run home run off of Carlos Villanueva in the top of the ninth giving the Cubs a 6 to 5 victory over rival Milwaukee. Comcast Sportsnet awarded Soriano with "Play of the Day.".[43] Soriano homered again, the very next day, on the first pitch he saw from Jeff Suppan, his 51st lead-off home run. On April 17 with one out in the bottom of the eighth Soriano hit a two run home run to give the Cubs a 8–7 lead over the St. Louis Cardinals.[44] However, Soriano only hit .216 in the month of May.[45]

Shortly before the All Star break, manager Lou Piniella dropped Soriano in the batting order and made it clear that it was not a temporary change. For the first time in his career, Soriano seemed to accept not being a leadoff hitter and actually praised his manager for making the necessary decision citing the fact that, "I'm not doing my job."

The batting order change helped Soriano. In the first series after the all-star break, he hit two go-ahead home runs against the Nationals. On July 27 he hit a walk-off grand slam against the Houston Astros during the 13th inning.

On September 5, 2009, it was reported that Soriano is to undergo a surgery

In 2009, Soriano led all major league left fielders in errors, with 11, and had the lowest fielding percentage among them (.950).[47]

2010

After a poor season in 2009, Soriano was placed permanently in the 6th spot in the Cubs lineup, where he rebounded nicely, by playing in the most games(147 games) that season for the Cubs. He also collected 40 doubles, and 79 RBIs. On June 11, 2010, Soriano hit his 300th home run off of Jake Peavy. In 2010, on defense he led major league left fielders in errors, with 7, and had the lowest fielding percentage, at .968.[48]

2011

In 2011, Soriano had a less than stellar year on defense and led in errors by a left fielder, with 7, and had the lowest fielding percentage, at .965.[49] He batted .244, drove in 88 runs, and hit 26 home runs. [50]

Fielding

Soriano led all major league second basemen in errors every year from 2001 to 2005 (19 (tied), 23, 19, 23, and 21). In 2006 he was second in the major leagues of all left fielders in errors, with 11, but led all left fielders with 22 assists, 9 double plays, and a 2.29 range factor.

Personal life

On June 23, 2004 Soriano donated US$2.6 million to his home country for children wanting to become professional baseball players.